He started playing the bagpipes at the age of 7 receiving his first lessons with PM Bob Martin at Boghall and Bathgate pipe band, returning there to play for several years in the early 2000s. He studied ceòl mòr under Robert Wallace and had a brief competitive period in the 2010s with highlights including winning the Open Piobaireachd at South Uist in 2010 and the B Grade Piobaireachd at Blair Athol in 2012. Family life and professional career have largely replaced any spare time for competitive playing, but Robert remains fascinated by the “big music” and how it might be a medium for the engagement of not just musicians, but a wider artistic and scientific audience.